Disappearing door structure



oct. 5,"194s. WQT. HQRMES f 2,450,593

DISAPPEARING DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 25, 1944 '71g'. .Z A ZI?. E.'

Patented Oct. 5, 1948 UNITED STATES rATENT OFFICE William T. Hormes, Catonsville, Md.

Application August 25, 1944, Serial No. 551,168

4 Claims. 1

This invention pertains to door structures of the type commonly employed to close an opening in the front of a store furniture unit. s

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a disappearing door structure, i. e. one that is opened by lifting it and moving it inwardly into the top of the space which itnormally covers, and means constructed and arranged to counterbalance the door during its opening and closing movements. An important object is to provide such a door structure with means for equalizing the inherent differences in the resiliency of any two springs which may be selected for counterbalancing purposes. n

The invention willbe hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a conventional type of store furniture unit, with the door in open position, and looking toward an end wall of the unit, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the door in closed position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the adjustable equalizer member for a counterbalance spring.

Figure 5 is a detail view illlustrating the mann ner of connecting the adjustable abutment with yits counterbalancing spring.

Referring to the drawings, C designates an open front store furniture cabinet provided with end walls I0, which support vertically spaced shelves l2 and i3. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular type of cabinet, because it is equally adaptable to other types of store furniture units now in common use and which employ7 disappearing doors. The form shown has accordingly been selected merely for the purposes of illustration.

Secured to the end walls of the cabinet, on opposite sides of the open front and in any desired manner, are two door guides G, one on each end wall. Each of said guides'consists of a horizontal track channel l5, located near the top of the space normally to be covered by a door, and

. a vertical track channel I6. These channels are arranged at right angles, and communicatewith each other at their intersecting ends. The door D for closing the open front of the cabinet, preferably consists of a glass sheet enclosed within a suitable frame I1, and is mounted on sets of rollers I8 and IB, which project laterally from the respective side edges of the door and are arranged to travel in the tracks of the respective 2 door guides G. Located in each vertical channel It is a helical-coil counterbalance spring S, with both ends free, the lower end/of which rests upon a fiXed bottom abutment 20, located at the bottom of the channel lr6. The upper end of each of said springs is provided with an adjustment member A positioned to engage a roller I=9 on an adjacent side of the door frame as the door is closed, and so that the spring member is compressed by the weight of the closed door. In this manner the spring will assist upward movement of 'the door while the latter is being lifted by the operator.

It is well known that normally no two helical springs have precisely the same resiilency. Be-

cause of this factor there is a tendency of theV door D to bind at.its ends during its opening and closing movements, due to inequality of the spring pressures on its two ends. To overcome this tendency to bind, the'adjustment member A of each of the springs S is constructed in the form of a cylindrical body 2l, provided with a peripheral helical groove 212, the pitch of which corresponds to the pitch of the convolutions of its spring S. Said equalizer member is rotatively tion of the equalizer member A with respect to its coil, until positive rotative force is applied thereto. I

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled Vin the art to which it belongs., For instance, an important advantage is smoothness of movement ofthe door in either direction, due to the provision of simple means for overcoming the effect of the inherent differences in resilency of the two counterbalanc ing springs. A very important advantage is that by means ofthe adjustment members mounted in the upper free ends of the respective counterbalance springs, the eifective eXtent of reactive compressibility of either spring for counterbalancing purposes may be independently adjusted with respect to that of the other spring,

so that any inherent difference in the counter'-V balancing resiliency of the two springs may be accurately equalized. Another advantage is that any desired resiliency adjustment of the spring may be quickly and easily accomplished without disengaging the door from its guiding tracks.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimedis 1. In a doorv structure for aY cabinet havingan open front, aI door for covering said front, guide tracks supported one at each side of said" cabinetspaced upper and lower guide members4 projecting laterally from each of the side edges of said door and normally engaging theV guide. tracks, a xed abutment adjacent. to each. guide track, a helical counterbalancing spring located one on each side of said open front, the; lower end of each spring resting upon its respective xed abutment with the upper end ofY each spring located in theV path of movement of a. laterally projecting guide member as the door is moved to closed position so that when contacted by the lower guide members as the door is moved to closed position the weight-'of the door will. compress the springs, and a body at said upper end of each spring, means whereby said bodies may be adjusted axially with respect t said springs, said bodies adapted tov be engaged by the lower laterally projecting guide members for varying the extent of reactive compressibility of 'the springs for counter-balancing purposes, so that any'inherent difference in the counter-balancing resiliency ofthe respective springs may be equalized. Y

2.A In a door structure for a cabinet having` an open front, adoor for covering said front, door guides located one at each side of said open front, each of said guides consisting of a vertical track and a horizontal track arranged in right angular relationship and. communicating with,

each other, a door for covering said open front, spaced upper and lower guide, members projecti'ng laterally from each side edge of. said door and engaging said tracks, a fixed abutment member adjacent to each vertical track, a. helical counterbalancing spring located within each of saidrvertical tracks, the lower. end of each spring resting upon its respective fixed abutment, the upper end. of each spring disposed` in the path of movement of its respective lower guide member, an adjustment member supported by the upperend of each spring at a position to be engaged 'by a lower laterally projecting guidemember as the door is moved to closed position so that when contacted by'said lower guide members as the door is moved to closed position the weight of the door will compress the springs, said adjustment member comprising means Wherebyit is adjustable axially with respect t0 the spring.

3.'In a door structure for a cabinet having an, open front, a door for covering said front, door guideslocated at opposite sidesv of said open front', each of said guides consisting of' a vertical track: and a horizontal track arranged in right angularr relationship and communicating with each other, a door for covering said open frontpsaid door having relatively spaced: guide members projecting laterally from each side edge thereof and movably engaging said tracks, a fixed abutment located adjacent to the lower end of each vertical track, a helical counterbalancing spring located within each vertical track, the lower end of each spring resting upon said fixed abutment with the upper end thereof located in the path of movement of said laterally projecting guide members on the adjacent side edge of the door so that the. weight of the door will compress the spring as the latter is moved rto closed position, and a cylindrical adjustment member mounted in the upper free end of each spring in aposition. to be engaged by the cooperating laterally projecting guide member, each of said adjustment members being rotatively and axially adjustable with respect to its respective spring for varying the extent of reactive compressibility ot the latter for counterbalancing purposes, so that any inherent difference in the counterbalancing resiliency of the respective springsmay be equalized, said adjustment members normally being held against casual rotative movement by the. gripping tension of the convolutions of the springs.

4. In a door structure for a cabinet having an open front, a door forV covering said front; door guides located on opposite sides of said open front, each of said guides consisting of a vertical e tracky and a horizontal track arranged in right angular relationship and communicating with each other, a door forY covering said open front, said' door having relatively spaced guide members projecting laterally from each side edge thereof and movably engaging said tracks, a fixed abutment adjacent to the lower end of each vertical track, a helical counterbalancing spring located within each vertical track, the lower end of each spring resting upon its respective xed abutment with the upper end thereof located in the path of movement of a lower'laterally projecting guide member on the adjacent side edge of the door so that the weight of the door as the latter is moved to closed position will' compress the springs, and a cylindrical adjustment member' mounted in the upper free end of each spring in a position' to be engaged by said laterally projecting guide members, each adjustment member having an external helical' groove the pitch of which corresponds to the pitch of the convolutions of its cooperating spring, said groove being rotatably engaged with the adjacent convolutions of' the spring' for varying the extentv of reactive compressibility of' the latter for counterbalanci'ng purposes7 so that any inherent difference in the coun-terbalancing resiliency of the respective springs may be equalized.

WILLIAM T. HORMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of' record in the le of thisA patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Vanderveld Feb. 6, 1940V 

